


Fantastic

by Iseniich



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 13:11:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14213865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iseniich/pseuds/Iseniich
Summary: Green wins against Red. Only to find out that Red threw the match when in Alola.





	Fantastic

He’d done it. Green’s chest heaves with emotion, expression amazed as he sees that his Pokemon remain triumphant. He’d actually beaten Red. He’d  _beaten_  Red. Excitement hammers against his chest, his breath short as he jumps over the railing, running - practically _tripping_  over his own feet to hug his exhausted, but proud starter, who extends his neck out to nestle it into his shoulder.

“You did it,” He whispers, rubbing his partner on the spot he liked most. His Charizard whuffs happily, nudging him appreciatively. He could feel the weight of Red’s eyes on him, and he met his rival’s eyes, wondering at the sudden disappointment. He clutches his starter tighter, before looking away Something in Green’s chest tightens, and he has to look away, to greet his equally disappointed grandfather.

He realizes it, just a few short minutes after the win is marked in his history as his first. Nobody wants him to be here. Not his grandfather. Not Lance. And  _definitely_  not Red.

* * *

 

No matter what anyone tells him afterward, Green refuses to accept the credit for beating Rocket. He just stares at Lance until he leaves, discouraged yet again by the difficult child who didn’t understand how much this did for the League. Green doesn’t understand why he wants it so much. He could claim credit if he wanted - Green wasn’t going to up and run away with Red’s achievement.

Something about that thought was uncomfortable.

* * *

 

During the world tournament, Green won again, but this time, there is no Red there to challenge him. It’s pathetic how easy everyone is, but he never says anything. He doesn’t anymore - nobody talks to him but the press, and those aren’t people he wants to talk to.

* * *

 

In Alola he finds out the truth. From Red, who he beats again. Or rather, who he beats for the  _first_  time. Green watches Red, who fidgets with his cap guiltily, and feels justified in what his next actions are.

He punches him.  _Hard_. His grandfather is predictably unhappy, Lance is furious - at him, rather than Red, but Green just stares at them all, his bright eyes staring at them with rage in them.

“Don’t you dare,” He says the words quietly to Red. To Lance. To his Grandfather. “You  _lied_  to me. All of you.” In the end, his greatest achievement was that he was merely a monumental coverup. Everyone had been in on it. Everyone but him.

And he hated them all for it. He packs his bags, gives them a disdainful look, then leaves. He will  _not_  do this to himself anymore. They’d  _lied_  to him, and for a moment, he wonders if they feel sorry about it, or if they only feel sorry about being caught.

 

**Author's Note:**

> A rebuttal of a large number of works that use Red throwing the match on the Indigo Plateau as a plot point.  
> Tumblr: [Seniichi](seniichi.tumblr.com)


End file.
